Rape

Internationally, girls and women seem to be at greater risk for being raped than are boys and men. Little research exists on characteristics of male victims.

In the United States, African-American women and European-American women seem to be at similar risk for being raped. In comparison, Native American women may be at greater risk, and Asian-American women may be at lower risk (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000). However, more research is needed to determine whether these differences are due to social and cultural differences or to a differential willingness to report rape. Although girls and women of all ages are raped, the greatest risk occurs in their teens and early twenties, approximately between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four years (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2000). Women who were sexually abused as girls are at greater risk for rape than are those who were not abused (Muehlenhard et al. 1998; Testa and Derman 1999). Additionally, experiences with rape are correlated with high rates of alcohol consumption and engagement in casual sex (Testa and Derman 1999). However, it is unclear whether these activities make women more vulnerable to rape or whether rape results in alcohol abuse and casual sex.

Reports from numerous countries indicate that most rapists are male, although women sometimes rape (Sarrel and Masters 1982). In the United States, most rapists are below the age of thirty and are slightly older than their victims. Rape occurs mainly between members of the same ethnic group. Compared with other men, men who rape tend to be more accepting of violence, have a more authoritarian approach to relationships, and feel more hostility toward women (Drieschner and Lange 1999).